Introduction: When was Jesus Christ born? Was it December or June? How can we tell? Does it really matter? Let’s call three WITNESSES to testify.
(Luke 1:5) – “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”
1. The first witness is Zechariah the priest! He would have been chosen by lots. (Luke 1:9) – “According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.”
However, he would not function as the High Priest, who would be the only one allowed in the holiest of holies on the Jewish Feast called the Day of Atonement—Yom Kippur.
Next, Luke mentions all the people praying outside. This would have been done more than likely on The Feast of Tabernacles—Sukkot, which is the last Jewish feast of the year.
(Luke 1:10-11) – “And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.” This priestly order was designated by King David.
2. The second witness is the shepherds in the fields watching their flock by night. (Luke 2:8) – “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
These were professional (priestly) shepherds raising sacrifices for the temple offerings, which was a year-round job. Contrary to the skeptics, they were not teenage boys out in the field. Even though it was winter, they would have been watching over their flock. The shepherd fields in Bethlehem are approximately three miles away on the road to the Temple in Jerusalem.
To recap, these were trained priestly shepherds responsible for raising qualified lambs to be sacrificed. By the way, the “sign” that the Angel gave them—“the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes”—would have been a key piece to the puzzle. They had skillfully wrapped numerous lambs in “swaddling clothes” to keep them from being injured, thus disqualifying them for being a sacrifice without spot or blemish.
3. The third witness is Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth conceives after Zechariah finishes his two-week service in the temple. After hiding for five months, she then visits her cousin Mary in the sixth month.
Apparently, afterward, Mary is impregnated by the Holy Ghost according to Gabriel the Angel.
Do the Math:
Since the Feast of Tabernacles always follows The Day of Atonement, which is a fall feast (Leviticus 23) around September:
-
- Count six months from there, and you get March.
- Mary conceives.
- Now calculate the duration of a pregnancy, which is nine months, and you come up with December.
Conclusion: There are other witnesses, but for time and space, this should be sufficient. Interesting to note: Hanukkah will be celebrated this year on December 25, commemorating the supernatural miracle of the candelabra virgin flask oil, which was enough for one day yet burned for seven days back in the days of the Maccabees, 165 B.C.
By the way, Jesus Christ observed the Feast of Lights as Jews do today. (John 10:22)
In concluding, while as CHRISTians we do not worship a date but rather a person, Jesus Christ, here is good evidence that He was, in fact, born in December.
So, “Come let us adore Him!”
Love y’all,
Pastor Randy Reese
